This invention relates to wall coverings. More particularly, this invention relates to quilted wallpaper webs having insulating properties.
Wallpaper is a commonly used decorative wall covering which is made from such materials as cotton, linen, hemp, wood and straw fibers, waste paper and similar sheet materials having the necessary strength characteristics. Most commercial wallpaper is printed on roller presses. From the printing presses the wallpaper is transported through a dryer, cut into segments of a desired width and length, and rolled. While the principal function of wallpaper has been to provide a decorative covering, lately attempts have been made to produce wallpaper which can be made to provide sound and/or heat insulation so that a conservation of thermal energy as well as minimization and/or abatement of noise pollution can be achieved. Typical such prior art attempts are illustrated by U.S. Pat. No. 2,562,711 to Gessler et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,511,335 to Uddenborg, U.S. Pat. No. 3,542,638 to Kenny, U.S. Pat. No. 3,591,401 to Snyder et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,637,458 to Parrish, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,778,337 to Maud et al. However, all but one of the foregoing prior art attempts to produce an insulating wall covering have utilized a laminated structure having lamina of different compositions and properties. U.S. Pat. No. 3,511,335 to Uddenborg, on the other hand, utilizes a perforated intermediate layer and facing layers which are glued to one another through the perforations in the intermediate layer.
The present invention, on the other hand, provides an improved insulated wallpaper which has fire-retardant properties and which is relatively inexpensive to manufacture. The insulated wallpaper of the present invention is particularly well suited for use in family rooms, children's play rooms, music rooms, and the like.